MANDOIS ‘CLOS MANDOIS’ 2008

The “birth certificate’ of the Mandois vineyards dates back to 1735 when the family decided to acquire some vineyards in Champagne. At that time, Jean Mandois, a contemporary of Brother Oudart, possessed and worked a few plots of vines on the hillsides of Epernay. 1860 was a revolutionary year in the long family history. This was the year when Jean Mandois’ great-grandson, Victor Mandois, a visionary and trailblazer, took the decision that he would vinify and sell the wines of Champagne in Epernay. Thanks to Victor’s passion for his craft, shared by the ensuing generations inspired by his work, Champagne Mandois is now available around the world and is reputed to be among the great Champagne Houses. Situated in Pierry, a village in “Côte des Blancs” classified 1st growth in Champagne, Mandois owns a 35 hectares’ vineyard. The slopes of Epernay, the Côte des Blancs, together with the region around Sézanne constitute the major part of its vineyards spread amongst 12 different villages. Grapes come from famous villages and prestigious terroirs such as Chouilly, Vertus, Pierry and Epernay. Mandois’s vineyard is made up of 70% Chardonnay, 15% Pinot Meunier and 15% Pinot Noir. After many years experimenting in the Clos, Claude Mandois adopted the method of ploughing the soil in every other row of vines. In 2010, he decided to use this alternative method in all his vineyards. The results have been a deeper rooting of the vine and a natural expression of the terroir. To date Mandois Champagne is the only Champagne House to use this pioneering method.